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Tricia Tanaka Is Dead

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"Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"
Season
Episode

3
10
Airdate
February 28, 2007
Flashforward
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Flashback
Day(s)
Directed by
Special guest star(s)
{{{specialguests}}}
Uncredited
{{{uncredited}}}

Episode transcript
[[{{{transcript2}}}|Part Two]]


"Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" is the tenth episode of Season 3, and was broadcast on February 28, 2007. When Hurley discovers an abandoned van in the jungle, he makes it his mission to get it going again. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer return to camp and decide what to do about the still-captive Jack.

Contents

Synopsis

Flashback

David Reyes says goodbye to his son, Hugo.
David Reyes says goodbye to his son, Hugo.
Around 1987, a young, skinny Hurley carries tools to a Camaro that is up on blocks and opens the hood. His father gives him a Glacier Bar against his mother's wishes, and tells him to start the car even though it needs a new carburetor. Hurley claims it's stupid but his father tells him hope is never stupid and you have to make your own luck. He then informs him that their planned trip to the Grand Canyon will have to wait until he comes back from some work he has to do in Las Vegas, and drives off on his motorcycle.
The meteorite hitting Mr. Cluck's
The meteorite hitting Mr. Cluck's

Seventeen years later, Tricia Tanaka is filming a fluff piece in Diamond Bar on how Hurley bought the Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack where he used to work from his former boss Randy Nations. She tries to interview Hurley but he starts to relate all of the bad luck he has had: his grandfather's heart attack, the burning down of the house he bought his mother, his best friend Johnny running off with his girlfriend Starla, and the suicidal jumper at his accountant's building. Tricia complains about his attitude and goes inside the Shack with her camera man while Hurley asks Randy if everything is safe. Suddenly a meteorite falls from the sky, completely destroying the Shack and killing Tricia and her camera man.

Later that day, Hurley is greeted at his mansion by his mother. He tells her what happened and renews his intentions to go to Australia to investigate the Numbers. His mother says he can't be cursed because his father has returned after seventeen years. His father jokes that "your mother wasn't kidding about those candy bars."

Hurley, trying not to hear about his mom's sexual life.
Hurley, trying not to hear about his mom's sexual life.

At dinner, David remarks on a golden statue of Jesus and Carmen explains that Hurley commissioned artisans in Taxco to make it. She also explains that they hired workers from Bennigans to be their butlers. Hugo gets upset that his mother isn't suspicious of his father suddenly showing up after he won the lottery, but she claims he came because she called him to ask for help with Hugo's obsession with his "curse." Hugo gives Mr. and Mrs. Tranh severance and threatens to get rid of the money, all that it has bought, and his father. His mother covers the ears of the Jesus statue and says she has become intimate with Hurley's father again. She tells Hugo to show his father the Camaro which he has saved all these years.

Hurley and David at Lynn Karnoff's place.
Hurley and David at Lynn Karnoff's place.

Hurley's dad wakes him after some initial trouble due to Hurley wearing earphones to drown out his parents' lovemaking noises. He asks him to go with him to break the curse. They end up visiting a psychic, Lynn Karnoff, who tells Hurley his fortune using tarot cards. The first card tells her he has won money. The second, the Six of Swords, tells her it has brought him misfortune. She claims to see the Numbers and lists them. She says they are cursed and pulls a third card, Death. She says his curse can be removed and asks him to take off his clothes while she starts preparing ingredients to exorcise his curse. He offers her first a thousand, and then ten thousand dollars to admit that his dad put her up to it. She acts offended but then relents and admits it after being offered ten thousand dollars. Hurley storms out.

David promises Hurley he will be there when Hurley gets back.
David promises Hurley he will be there when Hurley gets back.
Later Hurley is packing to go to Australia. His father admits that he came because of Hurley's money, but says Hurley doesn't need to leave, he just needs a little hope. He should make his own luck, give away all the money except enough to fix the Camaro with his dad and take the trip to the Grand Canyon together they had planned. Hurley pauses to consider but leaves. His father says he'll be there when Hurley gets back.


On the Island

Hurley at Libby's grave.
Hurley at Libby's grave.

Hurley confesses his fears and troubles at Libby's grave, and lays down a flower. He finds Charlie shaving and gets him to reveal Desmond's flashes of Charlie being fated to die. Hurley says it might be his fault because of his curse. Vincent emerges from the jungle with a skeleton arm holding a key. Hurley chases him through the jungle until the dog drops the arm. Hurley takes the key which has a lucky rabbit's foot key chain attached and follows Vincent to an overturned van.

At the camp, Sun tells Jin that in order to help him learn, she will only speak to him in English from now on. Hurley bursts into the group and tells everyone about the van. He tries to get help in starting it, but only Jin volunteers, not knowing what Hurley was saying.

In the jungle, Kate and Sawyer get closer to camp. Sawyer steps on a dart from the Swan dart board and Kate pulls it out. She offers to reconcile, but Sawyer brushes her off. They reach camp and are greeted by the other survivors enthusiastically.

Roger's corpse is found.
Roger's corpse is found.

Back at the van, Hurley and Jin find the owner of the arm, the skeletal remains of a man in a work suit which has on it a Swan DHARMA logo patch, the name "Roger," and the designation "Work Man." They open the back door and find a mound of DHARMA beer. They pull out the skeleton, accidentally causing the head to come off and land on a pile of documents.

At the camp, Charlie demands that Desmond tell him when he will die but Desmond informs him it doesn't work like that. Sawyer barges up to them and demands to know where his stash went. Desmond apologizes for drinking the Scotch but reveals that Charlie and Hurley helped. Sawyer finds Hurley and Jin attempting to upright the van. Hurley is overjoyed to see Sawyer and both he and Jin give him a big hug. Hurley says that the car and Sawyer's return are signs that their luck is changing. Sawyer asks for his stuff, but Hurley bribes him with beer to get him to help fix the van.

Kate tells Locke and Sayid that she doesn't care what Jack said, she will still help him.
Kate tells Locke and Sayid that she doesn't care what Jack said, she will still help him.
On the beach, Kate tells Sayid about her experiences with the Others. She explains that Jack had instructed them not to come back for him, but that she doesn't care what Jack said, she is still going to attempt a rescue. Kate then walks off saying that she is going to get help, without looking back.
The road map that was found in the DHARMA van.
The road map that was found in the DHARMA van.

Hurley, Sawyer and Jin push the van upright and look inside. There are a lot of documents, including a DHARMA blueprint for a dirt road winding down the side of an incline and ending at the Swan station. Sawyer freaks out at Roger's head and exits with some beer. Hurley closes his eyes, puts the key in the ignition, and tries to start the van but the engine doesn't turn over. He takes offense at Sawyer calling Roger "Skeletor" and his lack of enthusiasm about fixing the van, saying they need to do it as a symbol of hope.

While knocking back some of the DHARMA beers, Sawyer teaches Jin some English words. He asks Hurley what he's doing and Hurley says he's praying for hope. Sawyer throws a beer can at him, saying "here's your hope." Hurley sees the can rolling down a hill and gets an idea. He finds Charlie on the beach and snaps him out of his funk. He convinces him to help him with the van, saying it will give both of them the hope they need to change their fates.

Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Charlie and Vincent looking down at the hill.
Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Charlie and Vincent looking down at the hill.
Hurley returns with Charlie and gets the other three to push the van to where the hill starts. He gets out and they all look down to see a steep incline with some big black rocks at the bottom. Hurley says if they push the van down the hill, Hurley can pop the clutch and get it started.
Hurley driving the re-activated DHARMA Van.
Hurley driving the re-activated DHARMA Van.
Charlie calls shotgun. Jin and Sawyer push them over the precipice and the van hurtles down the hill. Just before they are about to crash into the rocks, Hurley has his eyes closed and is telling himself he is making his own luck. He pops the clutch and the van starts. He swerves to avoid the rocks, and drives into a field. The van comes alive with the same song (Shambala by Three Dog Night) Hurley's radio was playing when his Dad left him. Jin and Sawyer join them for a joy ride, shouting as they circle the field. Hurley stays behind to go for another joy ride while the other three go back to camp with renewed hope. Jin gives Sun a flower, and a smiling Charlie joins Claire. Sawyer brings the beer back to his tent and looks at the happy couples with envy as he drinks his beer.
Danielle meets with the survivors.
Danielle meets with the survivors.

While Kate is in the jungle at night, she sees that Locke and Sayid have followed her. They ask her why she didn't ask for help in looking for Jack. She says they weren't motivated, but they counter that they just didn't know where to look. Sayid claims Locke has gotten a clue from Eko's stick. Gunshots fire, but Kate tells them to lower their weapons, and Danielle comes out. Kate asks for her help, and tells her that she was able to escape from the Others with the help of a girl, about 16 years old, who she thinks is Danielle's daughter, Alex.


Trivia

General

The "Glacier Bar" candy
The "Glacier Bar" candy
  • There is a picture of a tropical beach on the wall in Hurley's dining room.
  • The label on the beer, as well as Roger's jumpsuit, clearly shows the Swan logo.
  • There is a DHARMA logo on the front of the bus (non-station specific).
  • Hurley's father gives him a "Glacier Bar" candy bar.
  • When Hurley asks for volunteers to help him with the van, Nikki tries to step forward, but Paulo pulls her back.
  • Hurley Reyes is called "Ese" by Sawyer. "Ese" is Spanish slang used by Mexicans mainly in the United States, an equivalent of "dude" or "homeboy", referring to Sureños (southerners). Use by non-Mexicans may be interpreted as a racial slur.

Production notes

  • Ben, Jack, and Juliet do not appear in this episode.
  • The scene in which the van is pushed down the hill appears to make use of rather extreme camera angles to increase the apparent steepness of the slope. The angle at which Saywer and Jin are standing, as well as that of the mountains in the background, make this more noticeable.
  • The scene of the meteorite hitting Mr. Cluck's was named by Kevin Blank as the "single biggest, most expensive shot the show has ever done."

Bloopers and continuity errors

  • Besides the road map, none of the scraps of paper in the back of the van were meant to be seen, but one the so called Ho`oulu Lāhui document managed to make it on-screen. Script coordinator Gregg Nations has confirmed that the document was simply an arbitrary prop with no relevance to the Lost universe.
  • In the first scene when Vincent approached Hurley and Charlie, he was holding Roger's arm by the fist then switches to the middle.
  • If you were about to be hit by a meteorite, there would be no audible warning. Meteors travel in the atmosphere many times the speed of sound. In the episode, Hurley, Randy Nations and even the TV crew (inside Mr. Cluck's) heard the meteor coming.
    • A typical meteorite reaching the earth's surface would have slowed to its terminal velocity well before impact, which is very likely to be significantly less than the speed of sound.
  • While Hurley is discussing the idea of rolling the van down the hill with the others, he can be clearly seen and heard saying, "Dudes, I know how to drive." A second or two later, the shot cuts to a new one in which he turns to Sawyer as his mouth forms the word "drive" again, but no audio is heard. The following dialogue has no such problems.
  • The sequence when Hurley and Charlie nearly hit the rocks in the van is edited in such a way that the van should have hit the rocks multiple times.
  • In the scene where young Hurley tries and fails to start the Camaro, the car’s engine barely turns over; that’s more indicative to a poorly charged battery or a starter-motor issue rather than a carburetor problem.
    • That may not be a blooper or a technical inaccuracy, but rather it shows that neither Hurley nor his father now how to properly diagnose the problem, or that another technical problem with the car has occurred in addition to the possible carburetor issue.


Recurring themes


Recurring themes in Lost
Black and white • Car accidents • Character connections • Deceptions and cons • Dreams • Eyes • Fate versus free will • Good and bad people • Imprisonment • Isolation • Life and death • Missing body parts • Nicknames • The Numbers • Parent issues • Pregnancies • Rain • Rebirth • Redemption • Relationships • Sacrifice • Secrets • Time


Storyline analysis

Storyline analysis in Lost
A-Missions • Crimes • Economics • Leadership • O-Missions • Relationships • F-Missions • Rivalries


Cultural references

Cultural references in Lost
(direct references only)
Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science

See also: Possible cultural references for "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead"

Episode references

  • Hurley told his father "I'm not going anywhere with you." Walt said those exact words to Michael when Michael came back into his life. ("Special")

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Tricia Tanaka Is Dead/Theories

External links

  • ABC Medianet February Press Release Bundle: (Word doc) (PDF)


Hugo "Hurley" Reyes
Portrayed by Jorge Garcia 		v • t • e
Centric episodes "Numbers" • "Exodus, Part 2" • "Everybody Hates Hugo" • "Dave" • "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" • "The Beginning of the End" • "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1"• "There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3"
Mobisodes "The Adventures of Hurley and Frogurt" • "Arzt & Crafts" • "Jin Has a Temper-Tantrum on the Golf Course"
Flashback characters Father Aguillar • Leslie Arzt • Blonde Casualty • Dr. Brooks • Camera man • Dr. Curtis • Dave • Ken Halperin • Jenna • Johnny • Lynn Karnoff • Nurse Lazenby • Lottery Official • Mary Jo • Randy Nations • Nurse • Old Scooter Man • Charlie Pace • Pakistani Shop Clerk • Repairman • Reporter • Carmen Reyes • David Reyes • Diego Reyes • Lisa • Tito Reyes • Leonard Simms • Starla • Tricia Tanaka • Martha Toomey • Sam Toomey • Mr. and Mrs. Tranh
Flashforward characters Matthew Abaddon • Kate Austen • Blonde reporter • Sayid Jarrah • Noor "Nadia" Abed Jazeem • Jeff • Nurse Lazenby • Lewis • Aaron Littleton • Walt Lloyd • Michael's mother • Randy Nations • Newsreader • Charlie Pace • Carmen Reyes • David Reyes • Jack Shephard • Mike Walton
Items CD player • DHARMA Ranch • DHARMA van • Golf clubs • Hurley's stash • Hurley's Camaro
See also: Main Characters
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